We can come to look upon the deaths of our enemies with as much regret as we feel for those of our friends, namely, when we miss their existence as witnesses to our success.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nations often criticize each other, and each has valid points in their criticisms.
This quote by Arthur Schopenhauer highlights the tendency of nations to mock and belittle others, suggesting that such ridicule is a common behavior across cultures. Each nation perceives flaws in others that resonate with their own experiences, leading to a mutual recognition of faults that may indeed be valid. The quote speaks to the universal nature of criticism and the subjective perspective that underlies national identities.
Themes
CriticismNationsValidityRidiculePerspective
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a debate about international relations to illustrate how countries often highlight faults in each other while ignoring their own.
More from Arthur Schopenhauer
All quotes βTo be shocked at how deeply rejection hurts is to ignore what acceptance involves. We must never allow our suffering to be compounded by suggestions that there is something odd in suffering so deeply. There would be something amiss if we didn't.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.
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Life is full of troubles and vexations, that one must either rise above it by means of corrected thoughts, or leave it.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
Our religions will never at any time take root; the ancient wisdom of the human race will not be supplanted by the events in Galilee. On the contrary, Indian wisdom flows back to Europe, and will produce a fundamental change in our knowledge and thought.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
We will gradually become indifferent to what goes on in the minds of other people when we acquire a knowledge of the superficial nature of their thoughts, the narrowness of their views and of the number of their errors. Whoever attaches a lot of value to the opinions of others pays them too much honor.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
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